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`No News Day' takes issue with media outlets

The Media Warfare Alliance of Readers and Listeners is launching a "No News Day" campaign today, urging the public to boycott the news media for 24 hours.

"The Taiwanese media has been feeding the public with lewd and bloodthirsty information. They have been polarizing and simplifying issues concerning public interest, and journalists are often arrogant," the alliance said in a statement.

The group also called on the public to sign a petition in protest against the media and help circulate No News Day information through the Internet.

"The campaign has been initiated by those who are disappointed and upset by Taiwan's media coverage," Liu Hui-wen (劉慧雯), a student at National Chengchi University Graduate School of Journalism and one of the initiators of the campaign, said in an article posted on the Internet.

"The dissatisfaction with the media is not a matter of personal preference. But when we see how media coverage influences our daily lives, we start to realize that the issue is an important one," Liu said.

"We understand that this activity will not get any publicity in the media [nor do we wish to]. Therefore we are mainly using the Internet to deliver our message," Liu said.

Liu, together with fellow student Wu Tsui-sung (吳翠松) are currently abroad on scholarship and will not return until June 28, according to Lin Yuan-hui (林元輝), an associate professor at the department.

"The media has been violating their professional ethics," Lin said. "They criticize anyone without proof, spread rumors, hurt others and when they make mistakes, they don't even have to apologize."

"It is good that we can show them our displeasure and give them a chance to reflect on themselves," Lin said.

Chairman of the Broadcasting Development Fund Lu Shih-hsiang (盧世祥) said he also backed No News Day.

"I definitely support this campaign, but they really should have increased its scale to obtain the desired effect," Lu said.

"The media should reflect on themselves and promote self-discipline," Lu said.

"They have not even fulfilled the basic professional requirement of telling the truth. They pursue sensation and broadcast news that has no clear content," Lu said.

"It is often difficult to tell the real situation from the information they provide," Lu said.

Members of the media, however, said that the situation was more complex.

"Some of the problems result from cable TV stations demanding stimulating captions for their news program," said a reporter who works for a major daily newspaper, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Sometimes even I cannot endure the stuff they carry. They would broadcast every little thing live.

"Since their reporters are not well trained, the news they deliver is immediate and superficial," the reporter said.
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